


The Waiting Game

by Voidbeans



Series: The Tragedy of Rava [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Drunken Flirting, F/M, Follower POV, Graphic Description of Butchering, Hunters & Hunting, Ignoring the Thieves Guild plotline but it's like, Light Angst, Markarth (Elder Scrolls), Mentions of thievery, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Skyrim Main Quest, Serious Injuries, Sexual Tension, Skyrim Quest: The Forsworn Conspiracy, Unconventional Medical Supplies, not sure about actual sex scenes yet, since Rava has the Nightingale armor, supposedly in progress in the middle of all this idk, the angst comes towards the end, the beginning is more fluffy and fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:22:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26124172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voidbeans/pseuds/Voidbeans
Summary: Cosnach has been waiting all his life for something, or someone, to drag him out, beyond the walls of his dreary hometown. He certainly didn't expect this someone to be an unusually short Khajiit, but you know what? He'll take it.His escape just doesn't go quite as planned.Based on one of my very first playthroughs of Skyrim.
Relationships: Cosnach/Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn
Series: The Tragedy of Rava [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1896886
Kudos: 4





	1. The Silver-Blood Inn

”Nothing ever changes in the City of Stone.” Nothing ever changes and nothing ever should be changed to begin with. People lived by this rule. They went on with their daily lives giving little to no thought to anything beyond the city walls – all except for the rare occasion that something from the outside came inside. Just having a single, lone traveler walk through the city gates with nonchalant footsteps would have been enough to birth whispers, but to think that the same stranger killed a Forsworn spy right upon entering...  
It was unheard of.  
By midday Cosnach had heard every conceivable rumor there was to hear considering the identity of the stranger. Everything from a simple mercenary to a runaway prisoner in hiding. What seemed to intrigue people the most was the cowl they didn't seem to be willing to pull down. Maybe their face was covered with very visible battle scars or perhaps they were secretly a vampire shielding themselves from the sun. The breeze of whispers blew throughout the time the entire day and, despite not admitting it to himself, Cosnach wasn't completely unaffected by it.

Curiosity wasn't really something Cosnach was ashamed of. In fact he found his interest highly justified considering that he had had absolutely nothing to do for months on end. All the shipments to Arleif's seemed to either disappear weirdly or be robbed by Forsworn and bandits. Yet he found himself holding himself back from looking for the stranger, more out of spite than anything else. While the rest of the town seemed to enjoy whispering conspiracies behind people's backs whenever there was a slightest excuse, Cosnach himself had always believed in very simple means to find out solid truths about people. If a stranger were to order simple mead in the tavern, they were most likely a well grounded, common person. If their drink of choice was wine or alto wine, someone more reserved and snobby was likely to be the case.  
And if they happened to order Honningbrew or Black-Briar, they were a common person with good taste and a respectably fat pouch of gold in their pocket.

In the end the day, it was proven too much of a bore to bother resisting his curiosity any longer. Besides, it wasn't like he was going out of his way to catch a glimpse of the stranger. The simple fact was that there was only one inn in town and if there was a stranger around, they were more than likely to come there for a roof above their head. And the inn was definitely a place that Cosnach spent a lot of time in, albeit mostly to avoid having to return to The Warrens. The glow of the huge fireplace in the back was always just barely enough to warm up the grand hall as the stone walls seemed to suck in the warmth, yet remaining cold. It was an oddly pleasant chill. Kept the drinks fresh, that's for sure.

That day was no different from any other day in Markarth, and such was the case inside The Silver-Blood Inn as well. As soon as Cosnach entered, he could hear Kleppr and Frabbi bickering about something that Cosnach could vaguely catch as being about cleaning. Heaving a deep sigh he reached for his coin pouch in his pocket, weighing the lightness of it on his palm.  
Nothing too fancy tonight either. Maybe a single bottle of Honningbrew if he'd have the patience to down it sparingly.

Time passed quickly in the almost empty stone hall as Cosnach slowly downed a bottle after a bottle of regular old Nord Mead. The taste wasn't particularly to his fancy and he usually preferred ale, but he knew that choosing cheap mead as his drink of choice would tempt him to drink less. He wanted to be at the very least somewhat sober for the possibility of the stranger coming in. Maybe they'd be willing to have a quick chat and god, Cosnach craved a casual conversation with no indication of just passing rumors.

Yet, as time passed, the inn was slowly filling up with people doing just that. Gossiping.

  
”That black armor looks expensive. I bet they're loaded.”  
”Suspicious is what it looks like. Just keep a close eye on your pockets.”  
”I heard they spoke with Ghorza at the forge for quite some time.”  
”They're far too short to be an Orc, though...”

  
By the time it was dark outside, the stone hall was echoing with chatter. Cosnach leaned his face to his palm tiredly and closed his eyes for a second. The mead was starting to affect him and he already felt the familiar, warm numbness. Yet now it was spiced with disappointment. Maybe the traveler had already carried on their way. Cosnach couldn't blame them. Who would willingly want to sleep on a bed of stone, after all? Even he preferred the somewhat stale stench of a haypile to one of those cold stone beds. Just as he was about to open his mouth to order one last drink, however, the chatter around him came to a freezing halt.

Cosnach's chestnut eyes lifted slightly and saw a figure standing in the doorway leading to the city. The armor they wore was black, seemingly ornate leather scales embracing the slim, yet muscular build of the stranger's body. It had a silvery symbol on the chest that Cosnach had never seen before, resembling what to him seemed like a bird. Their head was covered by a black hood that shadowed their face just the slightest bit despite the light from the chandelier and the fireplace being cast directly at them. What wasn't shadowed by the hood was hidden behind the cowl that reached up to where their nose would be. Almost as if the stranger was treading to breathe the air that tasted faintly of the smoke from the fireplace, accompanied with the damp coldness of the mountainside. The worn cape followed behind them like a shadow as they stepped forward, the light material waving ever so slightly in the rhythm of their footsteps.

  
Upon reaching the counter, a pair of gloved hands clothed in the same darkness as the rest of their body, reached up to pull down the hood with a slow movement. The cowl soon followed. For the slightest second as the fabric fell on their shoulders, Cosnach could swear the entire city was holding its breath.  
The pair of furry, large, pointy ears now revealed twitched at the sudden silence. Gleaming, icy blue eyes blinked with the same nonchalance that Cosnach had heard about in the streets earlier. She was used to this kind of treatment, but didn't seem to care enough to be bothered by it.  
”Black-Briar-Reserve, please.”

As soon as the hoarse, purr-like voice had broken the silence, there was an uproar of whispers among the other patrons.  
”A Khajiit? Inside the walls?”  
”I told you they'd be a thief... watch your purse now.”  
”Another Thalmor puppet, I bet.”  
”C'mon, go ask them if they have any skooma.”  
Unable to ignore the remarks, the Khajiit sighed tiredly and sat down on a free bench in front of the counter.  
”Nord does have a drink for Khajiit, no?”  
Kleppr's face quickly turned from astonished to alert, with a slight hint of disapproval.  
”If you have the coin.”

  
Without a word, a dark gloved hand sneaked beneath the waist of the armor, soon to come back holding a coin purse. The Khajiit tossed the heavy purse on the counter not too gently and the contents clinked against each other, a couple falling out from the loosely tied opening as the silken bag toppled over. The innkeeper stared at the purse for a lingering moment with hesitation, only to receive a smack on the back of his head from his wife.

  
”Don't be rude to our guest, you damn pig!” Frabbi scolded with a hiss. The annoyed look on her face disappeared in seconds right after she turned towards the stranger though, melting into a rehearsed smile.  
”Black-Briar Reserve, was it? Would you like a tankard or-?”  
”Bottle. Khajit has traveled long in this cold land. Misses the warmth of strong brew in her belly.”  
Frabbi nodded in agreement, kneeling to look over the bottles hidden below the counter for a bit before lifting up a dusty, blue bottle. Clearly embarrassed by the amount of dust, she hurried to wipe it off with the hem of her dress and glared daggers at her husband.  
”I told you the shelves are filthy”, he growled back at her. ”You only clean the floors.”  
”Well maybe if you lent a helping hand instead of just chatting with the customers all the time-”  
”And yet you claim I'm the one who doesn't look after our guests”, Kleppr huffed tiredly before shifting his attention towards their odd guest. Unlike his wife, he didn't bother masking his discomfort. ”Would you like anything else? Some food? A room?”  
”If Nord has fish soup, Khajiit would be delighted. Khajiit would also like a room.”  
”Ah, of course. My wife will prepare the meal for you. It shouldn't take too long”, came the response. The innkeeper gave a meaningful look to his wife before snatching the blue bottle from her hands.  
”In the meantime, here's your bottle. I'll show you to your room once you've had your meal.”

  
The woman ground her teeth as she left with a stride that was anything but calm. The Khajiit merely smirked faintly to herself in amusement, pouring out a couple more Septims on the wooden surface of the counter and pushing them towards Kleppr. She then took the bottle and, without hesitance, opened it and drank a long gulp.

”That coin is no doubt stolen.”  
”And such an expensive drink, too. How wasteful.”  
”Is that a cat thing? Talking in third person? Sounds weird.”

  
Trying his damnest to ignore the gossiping, Cosnach eyed the stranger carefully up and down. Her eyes were large and almost appeared to glow, the irises mere dark slits in the light of the inn. She had them lowered to the counter as she leaned her elbow to the wooden surface, the weight of her head resting on her palm. He noted that the fingers beneath the gloves seemed slender, moving with an odd elegance as they tapped gently against her furred cheek.  
From the top of her head cascaded a flow of dreadlocks down the back of her head, each one having a small, silvery ring at the end. Her face was mostly a deep dark gray with black, barely visible stripes going down her nose and circling her cheekbones. The fur turned lighter towards the bottom half of her face, reaching a really faint gray near her black nose and her lower cheeks. Her ears, instead of being up and perked, were lowered with an occasional twitch at any particularly nasty comment spoken by the other patrons.  
This made her look... exhausted. A hint sad, even. Cosnach frowned slightly at the notion, in his intoxication showing his displeasure at the others' cruelty a little more than he would like to. In a burst of will he stumbled up from his bench and approached the Khajiit. A slight, friendly grin started creeping its way to his lips the more odd looks were shot at him. Someone with such a good taste in drink couldn't possibly be as bad as everyone painted her to be, just because of her race.  
Besides, he had one more way of finding out what exactly the Khajiit was about.

”You a fightin' gal?”  
The question didn't startle the Khajiit as much as it did surprise her. Her brow knitted in confusion as she turned only half-way to face the shabby-looking, blonde Breton. Slowly, she stopped leaning on her palm and traced her fingers to her lips. Thinking.  
”...is the drunken man mad at Khajiit?”  
”Nah”, Cosnach laughed out. ”Been too long since I last had a good brawl. So how 'bout a little bet?”  
The glint in the icy blue could easily be recognized as mischievousness. At the sound of the challenge, her ears finally perked up along with the corners of her mouth.  
”How much?”  
”Hundred gold. Ain't got much but that oughta do. You game?”  
With no hesitation whatsoever, the Khajiit reached her hands to remove her backpack, bow and quill from her back. She tossed them out of the way and they ended up in an empty corner of the inn, bumping against a chair. Her smirk now clear as day, revealing her sharp canines, the Khajit jumped down from her bench.”  
”Khajiit is game.”

By now the entire inn was watching the situation unfold. Since the area before the counter and near the front door was the clearest, that's where the odd duo headed with a silent agreement. The mead burning in his stomach gave Cosnach enough confidence to keep his smirk and avoid the freezing blue gaze that remained on his form. In her amusement, the Khajiit seemed highly curious about how this would go. Especially since, despite having invited her to a fight, the Breton was rather relaxed.

With one last, lazy step further away from the stranger, Cosnach finally turned towards her with a playful grin.  
”This should be easy”, they heard from the crowd. ”Twelve Septims on good ol' Cosnach.”  
”...I'm actually betting on the cat.”  
”What? Look at how small she is!”  
”Small, but most likely sly. Their kind is tricky to deal with.”

She was, indeed, small. Her frame was slender and her height was over a head's height shorter than that of Cosnach's. Half the size of a big Orc, probably. The little Cosnach had heard and seen of Khajiit, none had looked as minuscule in size as her. For a second the Breton wondered if house cats would be considered to be Khajiit as well.  
He'd have to study this matter more.

”...don't they have sharp claws?”  
”Should we call the guards? What if she pulls a dagger like she did on ol' Weylin?”  
Cosnach chuckled.  
”We're causing a stir.”  
”Is it a bad thing? If folk is bored enough for petty gossip, then folk needs a show, no?”  
Her voice was a low purr that felt as though it echoed through Cosnach's entire body, lighting it up with excitement. Accompanied with the challenging look she was giving him he could feel a slight shiver run down his spine.  
”Then let's give them a show”, he said quietly, his eyes aflame as he readied his fists in front of his body and cracked his neck in preparation.

Before Cosnach could finish drawing a deep breath, the Khajiit was dashing towards him. The grin on his face faded as he was drawn into the brawl, attempting to grab the woman's upper body as she whisked by. He wasn't fast enough, however, and the Khajiit had quickly moved behind him. As he felt himself lose his footing upon a kick to his ankles, he cursed the last bottle of mead that he had downed before the stranger had arrived. He barely managed to stop his fall with his arms before hitting his head to the back of a chair.

The brown eyes darted around to look for the Khajiit, soon finding her as she stepped in front of him.  
”Khajiit thought this one would be better”, she teased. ”Does Rava need to be more gentle?”  
Cosnach stumbled back to his feet.  
”I didn't exactly count on you using tricks.”  
”Ah, but is Rava's kind not known for using trickery?”

  
As Cosnach looked up at the Khajiit, he realized that the question was a challenge. A challenge to show that he wasn't like the other people, judging her solely for her furred exterior. A glint of hope glimmered in her eyes as she waited for his response, which was soon given with a smile.  
”...so Rava's your name, huh? Then... what're ya waiting for, Rava? Fight's not over yet.”  
With that, he dived in for a punch, ready to receive the rest of the ass-kicking he knew he was getting.


	2. Karth River

”So you got beaten up by a tiny cat lady.”  
Cosnach let out an annoyed huff. He turned his head away from his cousin. A mere peek at the man's drooping mustache seemed to be enough to irritate him in his current state. The still ever so slightly throbbing pain on his bruised lip, according to his body, clearly wasn't enough torture for him. For his misfortune he was also graced by the presence of a rather persistent hangover.

He was far beyond the point of throwing up, of course. His drinking habits had gifted him with somewhat of a tolerance, but it could only help him so much. That morning he was cursed with a headache. It wasn't anything too painful to tolerate, but it was very much there, making itself known with a dull pressure against Cosnach's temples.

Imedhnain's arm brushed Cosnach's slightly as the older man sat beside his relative on the edge of the cold stone bridge. Realizing that the man wasn't going to leave just yet, Cosnach groaned.

  
”You're just sayin' that because you weren't there. Gal's a damn beast, I tell ya”, he replied. ”Felt like being mauled by a sabercat. Without the claws, thank divines.”

”If she was such a great match, how come you're so embarrassed?”

Cosnach bit his lip slightly before sighing.

”Did you stop by just to make fun of me?”

”No. Lisbet heard about the bet too. She thinks it's her money you lost. So she's pretty mad.”

”Is she ever not mad tho?”

The comment got a slight smirk tugging at Imedhnain's lips, but he was quick to hide it away again. Cosnach watched the smile disappear from the corner of his eye, chuckling lightly.

”Is it the mustache you've grown making you into a damned bore or is it just that witch at Arnleif's?” he joked.

This time his words didn't build a smile. Imedhnain sighed deeply.

”She's not as bad as you think. She's just as frustrated as you are about the shipments. Probably even more so than you. She wants you back to work today.”

”Are there any shipments coming in?”

”No, but-”

”Then there's no work for me today, is there?”

In the light of the sunny morning there was no mistaking the cold look on Cosnach's face. Knowing that his words were not a question, but a firm statement, Imedhnain decided to keep his mouth shut, turning away from his cousin for a moment to watch the water flow through the creek down through the Riverside, past the Warrens. The smithy right ahead seemed quiet aside from Ghorza's hurried footsteps as she paced around, seemingly grumbling about how her apprentice had yet again slept in late. Cosnach didn't even need to be at a hearing distance to hear the cussing in his head.

His brown eyes followed the flow of the water, watching it roll through the stone until it reached down below the city walls, out of sight. Knowing that the water would keep flowing beyond the walls had a bittersweet taste. Lost in thought, Cosnach was deafened by the roar of the waterfall behind and didn't realize his cousin was talking before the man gently nudged his shoulder. He was holding a loaf of bread.

”Bet you haven't eaten all morning.”

Cosnach grinned.

”How much gold are you willing to bet?”

”Would I win?”

Instead of replying, Cosnach grabbed the bread and took an eager bite. Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Imedhnain patted Cosnach's back and lifted himself up to his feet.

”Well, you're welcome back to work if you change your mind. Try not to slack off all day.”

”Save the preaching to the priests.”

Rolling his eyes, the man left for work, leaving Cosnach sitting alone on the bridge.

He had contemplated leaving the town a couple times. Just taking what little he owned and leaving to find his fortune, never to look back. Yet one didn't need to be a mage to predict how that would end.

He had no weapon to speak of and too little coin to afford enough food for travel. He'd end up as lunch for a pack of wolves or a sabercat in a matter of hours. The air in Markarth had a taste of smoke and dust all around. Cosnach would have lied if he'd said he didn't find the city beautiful, but the beauty of it was like that of an ancient artifact. It was not to be disturbed, a magnificent piece of craftsmanship with its potential wasted by paranoid people unable to handle the outside world.

As the waterfall and river serenaded Cosnach, he kept staring at the spot where the river ducked below the walls. As minutes passed, his nonchalant stare turned into a bitter glare. The headache kept squeezing ahead at his skull, luring the man to close his eyes after a while. A tired sigh slipped his lips as his head tilted a little to the side and his breathing grew slow.

”Is it hurting bad?”

The familiar purr jolted Cosnach awake. The brown eyes looked around a little in confusion, finally finding the furred fellow from last night standing next to him. He yawned a little, rubbing the back of his sore neck before stretching his arms.

”Not as much as my ego”, he laughed out with a bitter tone, gaining a rather curious look from the Khajiit.

”Rava cannot imagine why”, she mumbled. She seemed to hesitate a little before deciding to sit next to the blond man.

”Breton did great in fight. Very sturdy.”

”Didn't feel like it”, Cosnach replied. His chest seemed to puff out a slightest bit. ”Guess I just underestimated you.”

”Happens all the time.”

There was an evident smile on her features. Taking Cosnach's earlier example, Rava let her eyes roam the sunny scenery ahead, observing the shadows that shifted all around as a cloud hid the sun for a moment. She started swinging her feet back and forth in a childlike manner and Cosnach swore that, had it not been hidden by her cape, her tail would have been making happy little swirls.

”Breton really impressed Rava.”

Cosnach found himself eyeing the woman up and down. She was wearing her black armor, like yesterday, yet hadn't bothered pulling up the hood of her cloak nor the cowl. The secret was out either way, so there was no reason trying to hide her identity any longer. Yet her openness about the subject surprised Cosnach a little. With the cold comments thrown around last night Cosnach could have sworn that she'd want to hide herself away. He couldn't help but feel a little bit relieved about it. Her face felt like a fresh breath of air in the stale atmosphere of the stone city.

And the compliments certainly didn't hurt his otherwise bitter mood.

Rava's smile soon infected Cosnach, making him grin as he finally turned his head towards the city walls.

”Heh. Likewise.”

Neither of them said a thing for a while, just enjoying the warmth provided by the sun. A guard walked over the bridge past them muttering something about loitering and lollygagging under his breath, yet the two ignored him and he continued on his way. Soon after, Cosnach could hear his companion dig around in her small bag, soon shoving a familiar looking shabby coin pouch towards him. Cosnach frowned.

”...are you taunting me?”

As an answer, Rava gave him a determined look and placed the purse on his lap.

”Take it.”

”You're giving me my money back? Why?”

”You look like you need it.”

”I can't take it”, Cosnach groaned. ”You won it fair and square.”

The Khajiit hesitated. Out of instinct, she brought her fingers to her chin, scratching it a little as she pondered. In a matter of seconds the thoughtful look was replaced with a sly, wide grin.

”What if Khajiit gives this as payment?”

”For what?”

”Company.”

The laughter started with a light chuckle, quickly growing enough to have Cosnach clutching at his stomach and swinging his body back and forth a little in an effort to contain it. All the while Rava was still grinning.

”Do I look like that kind of guy?” the Breton finally managed to chuckle in between bursts of laughter.

”Perhaps a little. Human's bare chest is a little... enticing”, Rava purred back, leaning a little towards Cosnach before poking his forehead. ”If Rava had his company like that, human would want to pay Rava instead.”

The word sparked a light in the brown eyes and with a last chuckle, Cosnach turned to meet the icy blue stare. His smile quickly grew into a mischievous grin.

”That a challenge?”

The black, slit irises inspected Cosnach up and down as if considering the offer. The man's physique had clearly seen better days, as he was far slimmer and less muscular as he had used to be in his younger days. There were hardly any scars. Just a couple bruises from last night scattered around the pale upper body. For the slightest moment it looked as if Rava was biting her lip, but she was quick to hide it once more.

”Maybe for a later time”, she replied. ”Now, does... what's your name again?”

”Cosnach.”

Repeating the name, Rava's voice lingered on each syllable a little longer than she should, as if tasting the letters. Cosnach felt a shiver run through him upon hearing her voice. His name had never sounded better. Done pronouncing, the Khajiit tilted her head playfully to the side.

”Well, does Cosnach want to earn some more coin?”

”What'cha got in mind?”

Something in her smile was so child-likely innocent and full of excitement that Cosnach felt like laughing again.

”Come hunt with Rava.”


	3. The Lover Stone

The mountainside was far greener this time of the year than Cosnach could have recalled.

There was surprisingly little gray around, as the little stone that wasn't covered in moss seemed to wear veils of droopy vines hanging from their steep cliffs. The breeze from the snowy peaks brought the souvenir of a slight chill. Several different types of mountain flowers blossomed stubbornly from nearly every little nook and cranny of rugged stone. Butterflies raced from one one batch of flowers to the other, the bright colors of their wings reflecting the sun rays ever so slightly in a way that dyed the world a brilliant hue.

The beauty of it all left Cosnach's mouth slightly agape – contrary to popular belief it was not just the exhaustion from the hike getting to him.

And it wasn't just the Skyrim nature catching his attention either.

Rava's stamina had clearly been honed to perfection by her travels, as she had no difficulty climbing up the hill North from Markarth. Cosnach had mentioned a path leading there as they had left town, but the Khajiit appeared to have no patience for man-made luxuries. Her muscular legs carried her weight effortlessly.

There was an odd air of rough elegance surrounding her – she was clearly in her element breathing the brisk mountain air. Every now and then her ear would twitch ever so slightly and only seconds after Cosnach would see a bird or another critter run out from the bushes and back into hiding. To his surprise, despite coming all the way here to hunt, Rava never stopped at the sight of these critters and kept moving forth. Her goal, he guessed, was something greater than a mere rabbit or a pheasant.

Having reached the top of the hillside, Rava let out a satisfied sigh and turned around to give a glance to her companion. A small smirk made its way on her lips as she eyed the beads of sweat on the blond man's brow. Cosnach didn't care about the slight mockery of her gaze in his exhaustion and took a deep breath, falling to his knees for a brief moment to catch his breath.

”When has this one last gone out properly?”

”Can't even remember”, Cosnach laughed out and wiped his forehead with the back of his palm. ”That's sure some muscle you got there. Remind me what you need me here for?”

”Like Rava said”, she purred, kneeling to match Cosnach's level and patting his shoulder. ”Company.”

”Some company I am. Can't even keep up a conversation since I get out of breath.”

”Perhaps Rava likes the sound of this one out of breath.”

Such an obvious flirty comment coming out so nonchalantly caught Cosnach completely off guard. The Breton froze still for a lingering moment before grinning to himself a little. What did it even matter if the Khajit was just messing with him or not? He certainly didn't mind her having a sense of humor.

”Then congrats. You're gonna be seein' plenty of that.”

He felt the ice blue tingling on the top of his head and for a moment, felt a temptation to lift his eyes and meet that dazzling blue. Yet before he got a chance, Rava chuckled and patted his head, lifting herself back to her feet.

”Coming?”

Their hike carried on in silence for the most part. Cosnach happily used the opportunity to stay a little behind and let his eyes roam free on the preoccupied huntress. He felt a tinge of bitterness over the fact that Rava's cape seemed to hide not only her legs from his sight but also her tail. He'd been curious about it for a while now, since despite not seeing the tail itself, he could occasionally see the form of one twitching under the light fabric. Had he been the least bit drunk he might have straight up asked to see it, but as things were he just waited for a chance to see a glimpse.

 _'Is it so damn weird? I've just never seen a Khajiit before, that's all',_ he told himself and bit his lip a little, eyes stopping at where he knew her hips would be, were they not hidden by the cape. _'...that doesn't explain my cravings for seeing her thighs, though. Damn.'_

He shook his head to himself and let out a little sigh. Aside from Moira, Markarth didn't feel like it had any particularly dashing women within its walls – and that specific lady had been rather direct about her lack of interest.

It couldn't have been offensive to be this curious, could it?

Before Cosnach's unspoken question got any answers, however, Rava stopped on her heels making her lost in thought companion bump into her in the process. Cosnach quickly mumbled an apology and backed away a couple steps.

”What is it?”

He got his answer this time by just looking up. They had reached a cliff-side with a lone tree and a juniper bush stood around a formation of rocks, right at the edge of the cliff. A small stream ran down from the cliff on the left, the water sparkling in the sunlight, clear as diamonds.

The stones were arranged into a half circle with a single stone with a hole through it as the centerpiece. This special stone was framed by two taller stones that almost looked as if they were bending slightly towards it, bowing down at it. The rock's surface was worn by time, yet old carvings could faintly be made out on them if you were to approach. Rava seemed to tilt her head as she eyed the stones up and down.

”Rava did not know there was a standing stone here.”

”It's the Lover Stone”, Cosnach responded with a slightly victorious smirk. At least he had some information to impress the huntress with. ”Dunno why they put it here, to be frank. Might have a story behind it.”

”Perhaps.”

The silence lingered between them as Rava slowly approached the stones, trailing her gloved fingers across the carvings with curiosity. After a while she stopped to look over at the scenery ahead, past the edge of the cliffs. As the sun shone, you could see the mountains at the other side of the river rather clearly. The trees, the moss-covered cliffs, the silhouettes of some old abandoned ruins ahead. A light gust of wind blew through the cliff-side and tore lightly at Rava's cape in its wake. The woman smiled and took a deep breath, clearly enjoying the fresh air to the fullest.

”Maybe it is because the view fits.”

Her words were quiet and Cosnach could barely hear them. Yet as soon as he opened his mouth to ask about it, the Khajiit turned around to face him with a playful grin.

”What stars was Breton born under?”

The curiosity on Cosnach's face melted into awkwardness. He blew air out of his mouth in a huff, scratching the back of his neck.

”...like my birth-sign?”

”Yes?”

”...The Lady, I think. Can't recall. Nobody ever asks these things.”

Instead of a chuckle, much to his surprise, Cosnach received an approving nod in response.

”It is said those born under The Lady are kind and tolerant”, Rava said with a meaningful look in her eyes. ”Rava thinks it fits.”

Cosnach shook his head.

”Doesn't exactly make me swell with pride, y'know? Would sound way more cool to say... I dunno, The Steed?”

The Khajiit burst into laughter.

”R-Rava..:”,she stammered in between breaths and chuckles. ”Rava can't imagine why.”

”What? Do they say ones under The Steed have a huge-”

”No, no!” the Khajiit immediately interrupted, picking up a stick from the ground and throwing it at the man as a signal to shut his mouth. ”...well, uh. It is said that they do have good stamina... but Rava has yet to see Cosnach having any.”

”Maybe I'm sparing it for something more interesting than hiking.”

There was a slight sense of frustration in the fact that Cosnach knew he couldn't read the Khajiit's emotions quite as well as he could humans. There was no blush to indicate fluster, so he made a calculated guess over the slight twitch that Rava's ear did. She had to be a little flustered at least, despite how she shook her head in amusement to hide it.

”Well then, lover boy”, she chuckled and walked past Cosnach with a slight bounce to her steps. ”Let us get going. Rava would like to hunt.”

”You didn't tell me your birth-sign.”

The huntress froze in the spot for a brief moment before looking at the Breton from over her shoulder, a slightly smug grin on her black face.

”The Lord.”

”So... what, are you a noble or something?”

Rava shook her head.

”Rava just enjoys being... in control.”

”Maybe this cat just needs some taming”, Cosnach nearly whispered in a low voice, a teasing smirk spread on his lips.

There was another twitch of Rava's ear and a slight moment of tenseness to her relaxed posture. She seemed to roll her eyes.

”Breton is welcome to try”, she then replied, her voice barely audible, almost getting lost in the breeze that blew through the mountainside.

The rest of the day was spent hiking and chattering away between short pauses for Cosnach to catch his breath. It took quite some time before they found a prey that Rava deemed worthy – an elk with huge horns crowning its head. It was a majestic sight bowing its head down to feed on the grass atop a small hill. Rava already spotted the animal from far away and pointed it out to Cosnach, quickly signaling for him to stay quiet.

”Can Breton sneak?” she whispered, never once taking her eyes off the elk.

Cosnach hesitated for a moment. He knew he was a hopeless klutz but the thought of admitting that to Rava felt like a cold shower. She had already beaten him in both fighting and hiking. There had to be at least something he was better at. And with that, he nodded.

Only took a few seconds for him to regret it as he soon watched Rava lowering her body and crouching down, almost merging with the shadows of the nearby rocks. With a couple quick curses murmured to himself, Cosnach sighed and went after her, following her example of sticking close to the rocks. Much to his amazement everything went rather well. He kept mimicking Rava's footsteps to the best of his ability, following the shadows and slowly approaching the hill. He could already feel a bit of pride swelling in his chest and grinned. Maybe he wasn't that bad after all. Yet as soon as they were only a rock throw away from the elk, Rava stopped to get her bow from her back.

And in that very moment, Cosnach tripped on a rock.

Startled by the noise, the elk's eyes darted towards the two. A mere two second glance and it sprinted. Rava growled a hasty curse and prepared her bow in a blur of speed, managing to shoot a single green-tipped glass arrow towards the horned creature. The arrow hit its mark but not quite where Rava had hoped. Instead of the chest or neck, it hit its rear.

And it kept running.

The icy blue had never so far felt as piercingly cold as it did right then on Cosnach's skin. The man shivered and gave the Khajit an awkward, apologetic smile.

”S-sorry”, he laughed out. ”I lost my footing for a-”

Yet before he could even finished, Rava had turned around and ran after the animal. Her footsteps quickly grew distant as she disappeared behind the rocks, out of sight. Cosnach let out a frustrated sigh and slapped his face with his palm.

”Great job there Cosnach, ol' pal”, he muttered and slumped his back against a stone, eyes looking up to the skies as if hoping for the Divines to fix his little mistake.

”Now the gal hates you, I bet.”

He sat there for quite some time contemplating whether he should go after the Khajiit or stay behind and wait for her return. The latter sounded more plausible, as he would most likely just make a mess of her hunting again if he tried to find her. He definitely didn't want to be stabbed with those icy daggers of her glares again. Cosnach groaned and hit the back of his head against the stone, not hard enough to really hurt but roughly enough to feel the impact.

”Should have brought a bottle of mead with me or something”, he cursed to himself and watched the fluffy, white clouds drift over the high mountain peaks ahead. He could faintly see the shade of an eagle soaring overhead and couldn't help but smirk to himself.

”You look like the gal a bit. Graceful. And a lil' bit fearsome.”

Time kept passing and Cosnach noticed the shadows shifting and growing longer. There was a chill in the air and it chewed on his bare upper body. He wrapped his arms around himself for warmth and made a face in annoyance. The wait was growing tiresome. He had enough of waiting back in the city every day. He didn't come here to just be left alone with his thoughts once more.

”...why did she even ask me to come along? She didn't ask me if I can hunt or not. It's her own fault for not thinking it through. Should have known I might screw it up.”

Yet he remained still and kept waiting for a while longer.

By the time Cosnach finally stood up and started walking, the colorful daytime butterflies had already hidden away in preparation for the night. The blossoming summer eve was filled with the sound of birds singing their sonnets to the upcoming twilight. Much like the birds, Cosnach was now searching for his companion as well. Though not quite for the same purpose. The chill left him in a slightly irritated moon as he strolled through the mountainside, looking around feverishly for a glimpse of the black clad Khajiit. Though, even with the irritation, the feeling that conquered his brain was not, in fact, frustration.

It was worry.

He couldn't bring himself to call out her name in fear of bandits and forsworn. He knew both were told to roam a lot around the area, so he didn't want to take the risk of getting an arrow to his gut. Not to mention with the sunset approaching all kinds of animals must have been roaming out and about as well.

Instead he kept his eyes occupied, looking desperately for any sign of Rava. The sounds of the dusk were growing more and more faint by the minute and the shadows grew larger and larger. The growing darkness increased his stumbling as he hurried his steps and he found himself almost tripping over more than once. His scraped knees did little to bother him, however. In his mind, Cosnach was already starting to panic. Rava was no longer really his main concern, but his own safety instead.

And in his panic, he noticed the first fresh bloodstain on the ground.

It was on a small dirt path that seemed to be leading to a now mist-covered, small pond downhill. In the last rays of the sun, the blood looked almost black and it took a moment for Cosnach to register it as what it was. His heart sunk a little at the realization. What if Rava had gotten into trouble? Maybe she'd been ambushed by the forsworn? The Breton glanced around and listened carefully for the sounds around the area. Nothing. He took a deep, steadying breath and hesitantly called out:

”Rava?”

No answer. Instead his eyes spotted a trail of blood near the first stain, covering the blades of grass near the left hilltop surrounding the path to the pond, going behind a larger rock.

It was no longer just the chill of the night making him shiver.

”...Rava?”

He wasn't sure whether it was stupidity, morbid curiosity or increasing worry urging him to follow the trail but nevertheless, he ventured forth. He kept his footsteps as light as he could muster in case there was danger ahead, yet knowing full well that if there was, he'd be screwed either way.

It's not like he had any means of defending himself. And it's not like walking quietly would have been of much use anyway, as Cosnach was certain that the mere sound of his heartbeat was loud enough to be heard anywhere in a 40 feet radius. As he approached the rock, he could vaguely make out the figure of a person on the ground and when he did, his heartbeat was all he could hear.

”Rava?!”

The last few steps almost made him fall over the bow that was hidden amidst the grass in front of him. Cosnach hurried to the bloodied body and almost instantly fell to his knees in front of it, ready to mend to the wounds of the Khajit hunter with skills he never had.

Except it wasn't Rava. Dead and cold in front of him, clad in a leather armor now torn to shreds, was a wood elf hunter.

A male, at that.

Cosnach almost laughed out in relief despite the sickening feeling the gory display was giving him. He sighed, his posture relaxing as he quietly thanked a random Divine with a couple murmured words. Why had he even worried about Rava to begin with? Clearly the Khajit was used to wandering the wilderness. She must have just set up camp somewhere nearby for the night, waiting for him to come find her. Yet, despite his relief, he had an odd feeling of dread in his gut.

Ignoring the feeling as nothing but paranoia from the darkness and exhaustion from the searching, Cosnach stood up and turned around to leave the way he came.

Only to meet the shadowy frame of a bear stood on its hind legs right in front of him.


	4. Wilderness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: There's a pretty graphic description of butchering in this chapter. Figured I'd give a little warning. I'll make sure to summarize most of the chapter at the beginning of the next one in case someone wants to skip the blood and such.

Due to living within the safety of the city walls for nearly half of his life, Cosnach hadn't really had encounters with wild animals before, aside from maybe once or twice seeing an eagle soar overhead. So, needless to say, the sight of an actual living bear right there in front of him made his blood run cold.

He did recall seeing a wolf once, as a kid. He remembered watching the beast leer at him from within the woods near his childhood home with a hungry look. Cosnach had been only six years around that time and, despite the wolf being rather far in the distance, had soiled his pants at the sight of the creature.

It really wasn't something he would have liked to remember in the moment of having a stand-off against an actual bear. Yet there it was. Clear as day in his mind, taunting him.

”So that's how I'm gonna go, huh?” he thought for brief seconds, a short, hysterical laugh erupting from his throat. ”Cosnach the Drunk – Shat himself to death.”

Though his mind was already more or less preparing for the worst, his body, luckily, still worked.

He ran.

The cold nighttime air gave him the much needed slap to the face as he sprinted away from the bear, towards a small pond he spotted downhill. He could vaguely remember hearing someone mention that playing dead would be the best way to deal with a bear attack, but he failed to see the logic in that. Play dead for what? So the bear could start feasting on his still living body thinking he'd already died?

The grass was slippery with evening dew and Cosnach's footing almost failed more than once. Yet he kept stumbling forward, unable to hear the bear or anything, really, over the sound of his own building panic.

Could bears swim?

Climb?

Maybe if he managed to climb on top of the cliff just right of him...

No wait. He was horrible at mountain climbing.

...was that an arrow that just flew past him?

The bear roared in pain behind him loud enough for it to reach his ears. It couldn't have been more than a few feet away from him by now, which made him forget how to breathe for second. Despite his brain screaming at him not to, Cosnach spun around to see the bear with an arrow sticking out of the front of its neck. The creature stood up on its back legs, seemingly in an attempt to swat away the arrow, but its movements were... slower now. Stilted.

In a matter of seconds, all the bear could do was shudder helplessly as its muscles locked in place and it fell to the ground with a thud. With some difficulty, it let out a strained cry, eyes fixated on Cosnach.

Before he had time to react to the turn of events, a figure rushed past him to the bear. Rava looked more like a shadow than a Khajiit, yet somehow darker than a shade in her midnight armor. Reaching the bear, she quickly pulled a dagger off her belt.

The blade cut through fur and flesh with stunning ease. A quick stab to the side of the throat, close to the arrow, soon followed by a pulling motion that dragged the blade across the neck. Cosnach saw the frame of Rava's body relax as the now mutilated neck of the bear started bleeding. A gargled sound, an attempt at a roar no doubt, sounded from the bear's mouth before the light drained from its eyes. Blood stained the cold ground in a puddle, pooling below the bear, black as ink in the dim light of the moons.

The sweat now dripping down the back of Cosnach's neck ran cold.

Though each of Rava's movements seemed carefully calculated and graceful, there was a certain beast-like quality to them. A raw energy Cosnach couldn't even dream of understanding.

Yet he craved to.

Without hesitation, Rava rolled off of the bear. She seemed to inspect the body for a few lingering moments, glowing blue eyes appraising the shape, hand running through the fur. Nodding to herself, she took a hold under one of the bear's forearms and, with effort, managed to push the creature on its side. A quick measurement with the hilt of the blade, a few mumbled words. Hearing her voice, even if barely, Cosnach felt himself snap out of his horrified trance and let out a nervous laugh.

”There you are! I was looking all over for-”

Though the Breton wasn't far from the bear, he swore he could still damn near feel the heat that rose from the wet guts pouring on the ground as a faint mist. He gagged slightly, looking away from the mess of intestines. Fighting the urge to throw up. After a few deep breaths (the stench of blood definitely making those inhales far less pleasurable than hoped for), Cosnach cleared his throat.

”So... that elk?”

”Lost him”, Rava replied. ”This one is glad you found her some bigger game to make up for it.”

”...my uh, pleasure?”

”Was Breton worried for ol' Rava, hm?”

The soft purr in Rava's voice helped Cosnach relax. He hesitantly peeked at the mess of guts in front of him again, noticing Rava had moved a bit away, unfastening her bracers.

”This one made camp nearby”, she explained, setting her bracers on a nearby stone. ”Though with the bear being here, Rava thinks it's better to move it here. Cosnach will help, yes?”

”As long as I don't need to touch the guts and stuff. I don't think poor old me can... stomach it.”

A brief silence. Rava's eyes lifted to Cosnach's own. The intimidating, beastly aura was gone in mere seconds, replaced with a giggle. The Khajiit lowered her mask and hood, eyes sparkling in competition with the stars. Or at least that's what it looked like to Cosnach.

”Sorry, sorry”, she laughed out, rolling each r clearly on purpose. The accent worked like magic. Cosnach couldn't help but smile at the feeling of the words vibrating in his ears.

”Ain't never seen butchering before”, he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. ”Ghastly stuff.”

”This one won't ask you to help with the meat, then. Not much at least.”

”So where's the camp? If ya need it moved.”

”Small dent against a cliff-side, past he pond. No fire yet, Rava was just about to start it when she heard the bear.”

”Sharp ears you got.”

Rava chuckled.

”Yes. So Breton must be careful of what he says around this one.”

Shaking his head in amusement, Cosnach turned on his heels to go look for the camp.

By the time Cosnach returned with the camp supplies, the guts were long gone and Rava was cursing, half-way under the weight of the bear. She wasn't wearing her armor anymore. Instead she had a slightly ill-fitting shirt on her, clearly a bit too big. The fabric hung off of her loosely, the hem tucked beneath some more form-fitting pants and the sleeves clumsily rolled up. One of the sleeves had slipped down in a way that revealed one of her shoulders.

Cosnach's gaze followed the raven fur downwards to her chest and it took a moment for him to recover from the disappointment. With how loose the fabric was, it wasn't really revealing much of her shape.

”Need help there?” he called out, placing the camping gear down next to the cliff, away from the bloodied ground.

Rava lifted her eyes briefly before sighing.

”This one doubts you could lift this bear either.”

”Try me.”

Furrowing her brow, the Khajiit sighed and pushed the bear arm off of her, gesturing Cosnach to give it a go. He cracked his knuckles theatratically, a smug grin forming on his lips.

All those days hauling boxes for the trading company couldn't have been for nothing, right? Surely he could haul a measly bear to wherever his companion would ask. Maybe this would be his chance to show his usefulness.

Yet he soon learned that over 60 stones worth of bear wasn't anything like a box full of wine, fabric, pelts or barrel full of dried fish. The fur was surprisingly slick and his hands kept slipping, no matter how he tried to grasp it. Not to mention the weight. The thing was heavy with a capital h.

After a couple desperate attempts accompanied with some groans of effort and more sweat than Cosnach would care to admit, he gave in with a deep sigh of defeat.

”We... we could still try together”, he suggested, slightly out of breath.

As he was still bent over catching his breath, Rava took the opportunity to reach and ruffle his hair ever so slightly. Though he felt a very slight sting of humiliation, the motion was mostly comforting.

At least he wasn't being laughed at.

”It's fine. It'll be trickier, but Rava can handle most of the work with the bear on the ground. It would be easier with it hanging, but there aren't any trees nearby. Not ones strong enough, at least.”

She gave the Breton a slight smirk, sharp teeth a brilliant white in the moonlight.

”Let's get a fire going, yes?”

The sight of fire was exactly what Cosnach had needed to find peace. Yet it wasn't the most pleasant of peace to be had. As his nerves finally settled down, he found his muscles finally remembering all the stress and walking about, maching him ache all over. He fell to on top of Rava's bedroll with a groan, watching the speckles of burning ash float into the starry sky before vanishing.

”...you wouldn't happen to have any ale or mead with ya?”

”You sound like a Nord”, came an amused response. Cosnach listened to the crackling of the fire and the faint, slimy noise of Rava's blade hitting flesh for a little bit before hearing the answer to his question.

”There's a bottle of wine in this one's backpack. If you don't drink all of it, this one will make us a tasty treat in a few.”

”You need wine for it?”

”Not necessarily. Gives it more flavor.”

Cosnach rolled on his side and reached to pull the backpack closer. He didn't hesitate digging into it. It wasn't until he found the wine bottle that he realized he could use this moment to learn more about the Khajiit. Setting the bottle aside, that's just what he did.

A knife, a very slender one at that. Probably something to do with the whole hunting business.

A waterskin, a pot and a kettle, both worn a bit worn from use.

A set of strange, small vials.

”You an alchemist?” he asked, taking one of the vials and shaking it slightly. The liquid in it was a murky shade of brown with a hint of green. It reminded him of sewage.

”It comes in handy when hunting at times.”

”Doesn't that like, ruin the meat or somethin'?”

”Only if you don't know how to run the poison out after.”

”Remind me not to piss you off. Wouldn't want ya poisoning me.”

”This one thinks you're clever enough to remember it on your own.”

The last sentence came out closer than Cosnach had expected. The Khajiit had moved next to him and was watching him from above him, her teeth showing again. Cosnach returned the smirk with one alike, lifting his weight up half-ways to get closer...

Only for Rava to reach over him for the pot and go back to the bear with it.

The Breton couldn't hide his disappointment, pouting slightly as he popped the wine bottle open and took a long sip. He watched as the Khajiit ran her dagger over the muscles, tearing off strands of white fat. They separated from the rest of the body with surprising ease and got dropped into the pot.

She then brought the pot to the fire, propping it carefully next to it between a few stones and closing the lid.

Bear fat, huh? To roast the meat with?

Cosnach's mouth watered and stomach rumbled. This didn't go unnoticed by Rava, who chuckled lightly.

”Rava will choose us some good chunks of meat. Watch the fat for this one, please.”

”Aye, captain.”

The butchering process looked somehow far less gruesome with the guts mostly gone. There was little to no blood left either aside from the pools already draining into the ground. The smell was still there but not as dominant over the scent of smoke and the wine Cosnach kept gingerly sipping.

When she wasn't cutting through sinews and fat to pull away pieces of meat, she was carefully peeling the skin of the bear out of her way. It looked like a lot of effort, but she seemed used to it, barely pausing between cuts. Whatever pieces of meat she pulled out, she placed atop a large sheet of fabric, which Cosnach could guess was either for carrying the meat or draining it of any remaining blood.

Maybe both.

After a while, Rava stood up and stretched.

”How's the grease?”

Cosnach yawned and reluctantly sat up straight, reaching for the pot. He proceeded to burn his hand on the lid and cursed.

”Well I can hear it bubbling away”, he muttered sucking on the finger he burnt. ”So I think we're good to go.”

There was a moment of worried staring. Cosnach waved his hand to shake off the gaze.

”It's fine. I'm a klutz like that. Getting myself hurt over nuffin”, he sighed, standing up and walking away from the fire to the pond, dipping his injured hand in.

The water was pleasantly cool and still, the stars reflecting from its surface making it look like a treasure trove of glistening gem stones. He could spot a couple small fish swimming around in a circle a bit deeper in and he watched them dance around each other.

”Have you lived in the city all your life?”

The sudden voice startled Cosnach. He sighed and glanced at the Khajiit, now sat next to him, through the reflection in the water. Her eyes felt like they belonged in the cool depths of the pond. They just looked so right there.

”Moved there with my parents when I was a still a kid. They worked in the mines. Tried to raise me the best they could”, he replied. Though he tried to hide it, the bitterness in his voice bubbled into the surface.

”...the Warrens ain't a place for a kid. But I made it through.”

”The Warrens?”

Cosnach cringed at the question, shaking his head.

”It's uh... fuck that. Never mind that. Where'd you grow up, then?”

”Caravans. This one has seen a lot of different places. Mostly in Cyrodiil, Skyrim she's still getting used to.”

”Why hunting, then? Didn't feel like running the family business?”

”Rava has always had a good aim. Pelts sell for a lot in the cold, yes?”

”Makes sense.”

There was a moment of silence with them both just staring into the water. The reflection shifted slightly, Rava leaning her head against Cosnach's shoulder lazily. Her whiskers felt ticklish against his skin. Finally pulling his finger out of the water, he shook the droplets off. The image in the water shattered into ripples.

”...thanks. You know, for saving my butt and such.”

”This one is happy to save such a cute butt.”

Cosnach laughed out and placed his hand atop Rava's head. Her dreadlocks weren't exactly something to be ruffled, though, so he just ended up patting it playfully.

”Is that all y'all hunters are after? Some nice flank?”

”Perhaps. This one sees no thrill in chasing a prey that's already domesticated, though.”

”...what, you're calling me boring?”

A furred finger reached out, long claw gently poking the tip of Cosnach's nose.

”Not a bore. Tame. As much as this one enjoys a good chase...”

She leaned in close, her mouth only inches away from Cosnach's. The corner of his mouth twitched, anticipating something that his brain could not yet comprehend to wish for. Her eyes traced the lines of his face, the bags under his eyes, the redness of old frostbite left lingering on his cheeks.

”...Rava likes something more safe and relaxing every once in a while, too.”

Before the Breton had time to react, she'd already stood up and headed back for the fire. It took a while for Cosnach to register the smell of food floating in the air. A glance back at the camp showed Rava picking up pieces of roasted meat from the pot, dripping with grease. His stomach grumbled loudly at the sight and he awkwardly moved back next to the fire, his steps wobbling ever so slightly.

Must have drunk more wine than he'd first thought.

He was quickly offered a wooden bowl and a fork by Rava, who grinned at him across the fire. In his mind, Cosnach grumbled slightly, but kept it to himself.

There was no way for him to be sure if it was just tease or actual flirt unless he confirmed it himself.

”So, I guess we're sleeping here?” he asked carefully, stabbing a piece of meat with his fork. So she'd poured a hint of wine atop the pieces. He could smell it.

Failed to taste it yet, though, since he proceeded to burn his tongue with the still steaming meat.

”This one could easily travel through the night, but she doubts your ability to do so. ...no offense, of course. Khajiit eyes and such.”

”Yeah yeah, I got you”, Cosnach sighed. He tried to keep his prying eyes subtle. ”...how do you suggest we settle in for the night? I see only one bedroll.”

Rava's ears perked up for a second, twitching. The glint in her eyes was not solely reflections from the crackling fire, of that Cosnach was certain. She hesitated, blowing air into her bowl. He could see her tail flicking back and forth against the ground, vaguely remembering being told that snakes would do an s-shape with their bodies just before attacking. What that meant with cats, never mind Khajiit, however... he hadn't the slightest clue.

”...you're tired, yes?” she replied finally, voice soft. ”Rava can take the first guard shift. She'll keep the fire going and wake you up once it's your turn.”

Oh right. Wilderness. Danger.  
Cosnach muttered a curse to himself and sighed, nodding.

The rest of the meal was had in silence, enveloped by the surrounding dark wilds. Though Cosnach couldn't quite conceal his disappointment, he still felt mostly content. Getting outside of the city, despite the dangers, filled his lungs with new air that the stone walls had kept him away from for so long. Though he hadn't been able to make himself too useful for Rava, she seemed to like him regardless.

Maybe, just maybe, she'd hire him again.

Maybe he wouldn't have to go back.

As Cosnach finished his food with one last gulp of wine and moved the bedroll inside the small tent, he wondered if hunting was all there was to it for the Khajiit's life. If that was the case, certainly he could learn and slowly become more useful to her. Really show his worth.

The bedroll had a blissful lack of stinging ends of hay to it and quickly lulled him to a deep sleep full of visions of adventure.


End file.
